


Silent Lucidity

by byzantine_era



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-30
Updated: 2012-01-30
Packaged: 2017-10-30 08:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/329975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byzantine_era/pseuds/byzantine_era
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of a mission gone wrong, Leo comforts and watches over Jim</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Lucidity

He’s been looking for his captain for nearly an hour. He’s been to all Jim’s usual hiding places when it suddenly occurs to him that he hasn’t even gone near the one place that belongs to Jim alone – his quarters. 

They’re empty, as Leo discovers after entering his medical override, but the bathroom door is shut, and there’s a smear of blood on the wall – damn Jim and his stubborn refusal to let Leo treat him when he’s injured. Jim’s sitting on the floor when Leo goes in. 

His legs are curled up under him, but his torso is leaning gracelessly against the wall as though he’s fallen and just can’t get back up again.   
He looks terrible: a jagged cut on his temple, dark stains of blood under his fingernails, and smears of blood on his ripped shirt. The worst by far is the tear tracks on his cheeks, and his swollen, red-rimmed eyes. There’s an empty hypo on the floor next to Jim.  
Leo drops to his knees and reaches out, cradling Jim’s cheeks in his hands: Jim’s skin is cold, and faintly blue-tinged.

‘Jimmy,’ Leo says softly. “Jimmy, what did you do?’

‘Tired,’ Jim says, voice breaking. ‘I’m so tired, Bones. I just … I just want to sleep, and I can’t. I can’t.’

Leo tugs Jim into his arms and the younger man goes without a fight, resting his head against Leo’s shoulder and sighing. His breathing is unsteady, and he’s trembling faintly; the cold floor probably isn’t doing his already-poor circulation any favours.   
Leo strokes a hand through Jim’s hair and presses his lips to Jim’s temple, murmuring soothing nonsense words under his breath. His free hand wraps around Jim’s wrist, discretely monitoring his pulse which is a shade on the side of too fast – but already he can feel it steadying, and despite the twinge in his knees that will become a steady throb the longer he stays kneeling – he doesn’t move.

Jim’s always been comforted by proximity, by touch.

‘Hush now,’ he whispers, ‘hush. It’s all right, you’re all right. I’m here, Jim.’

He realises, dimly, that he’s rocking Jim like he would when Jo-Jo had a nightmare and needed comforting, and even though Jim’s hardly a child, Leo won’t deny him this small comfort. In part, he needs it just as much as Jim does, the knowledge that they’re alive, that they’re together, that the feel of Jim’s skin against his isn’t a dream.  
He rests his cheek against Jim’s hair, shifting not to ease his knees but to bring Jim closer still, and leans his shoulder against the wall. Jim’s settling now, breathing a little smoother. He’s still trembling, but both hands are fisted in Leo’s science blues, and it’s enough. 

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ he says into the silence. ‘It wasn’t your fault, Jim. You did what you had to, everyone knows it.’

‘I failed,’ Jim whispers. ‘I wanted to keep them safe, Bones, I wanted to save them.’

Leo doesn’t point out that not everyone can be saved, that some people don’t even want to be saved – it’s beside the point, and Jim doesn’t need to hear it.

‘You did the best you could, and you made the right decisions. I know it’s hard baby, I know, but we’ll get there. You’ll get there.’

‘Stay?’ Jim asks.

‘Always,’ Leo tells him. ‘Always, darlin’.’

‘Thanks,’ Jim whispers, and closes his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Based loosely on an episode of House.


End file.
